Back To Normal?

Well, I survived my weekend with an extra child. The only thing that was hard to get used to, besides dealing with two tired kiddies solo on Sunday night, was the level of noise and bustle in the house. I'm so used to a quiet life that two kids is a bit of a culture shock on such a long time scale. Mad props to single moms everywhere!

But, we're not quite back to normal. Sean is on vacation this week. We're not doing anything special except enjoying his not working.

You would think that having your husband on vacation would result in more relaxation, more hands to help with the daily chores, more time to sit at the computer and do my daily writing... Not so. Having Sean home is a lot like watching two kids instead of one!

It's usually not my responsibility to fetch breakfast, lunch or snacks for Sean. Theoretically it's not a burden, but for all his epicurean adventuring, he won't eat the same foods that Kieran and I eat (he won't touch Campbell's soup, which is an integral part of our lunches, he won't touch fruit, which is a daily component of our snacks and breakfasts...). I'm left preparing two different meals for everyone or at least fretting over what my husband will consent to eat.

Then there is the fight to get time on the computer. I haven't posted anything on Momcast or Hamilton Birth Revolution in two days because Sean is usally on the computer during my writing time or hovering over me demanding equal access. Writing certainly isn't the hardest thing I've ever done, but it does take a couple hours for me to write a few quality posts, especially for the Hamilton Birth Revolution blog.

There is also the hanging around making messes and not doing anything about them, the watching his son make messes and not doing anything about them, not helping out in general around the house now that he has the time to, sitting around in his pjs all day not doing anything and causing me to be annoyed for no particular reason.

I suppose it's not entirely fair, but there it is: I find it a tad annoying to see him so unproductive. Gotta purge that. I should be more forgiving. Of course, forgiving seems to equal permissive in my head and I hate permissiveness. I suppose most wives feel this way from time to time as we walk past our lounging spouses while we trundle somewhere with stuff in our hands to be put away.

So, I'd better get off the computer before someone in his boxers ambles over and demands iTunes fiddling time or professes an urgent need to check a Dr. Who fan forum. I've got tidying and not-getting-annoyed needing doing.

Cranky Mommy

I'm cranky.

It's 11:20pm on Sunday night. I have a headache. I yelled at Kieran. I apologised and then I yelled at him again a few minutes later.

He and the eldest of his cousins, the 2 1/2 yo Kaitlyn, are in my bed right now, whiny and really over-tired. The circles under Kieran's eyes are so dark he looks like an extra from Sean of The Dead.

I can here them from across the apartment. I've run away from them to gain a few moments of sanity. Kieran was rubbing my armpit over and over and it was driving around hte bend.

My patience, after having these two all weekend, is a little thin. Honestly, Kaitlyn isn't much trouble at all and I'm not bothered at having two kids to run after. But, it really is a big adjustment to go from one to two, especially when they are pretty close in age.

Two on me for cuddles is difficult and sweaty and sparks shoving and sniping between them, which results in me imposing Draconian rules about no squirming and no noisemaking and absoutely no whingeing! Of course, what overtired pair jostling for "mama" resources can follow those rules! And, so, of course, I get frustrated and lose patience and after I lose patience, I lose my temper and then I turn into shitty-mama-of-the-week.

It wasn't a great day all around. Well, it wasn't as bad as last Saturday, which Sean dubbed "the worst day of our marriage" (bed breaking, car breaking, my temper lost, repeatedly). No, today had little bits of bad sprinkled around to lay a film of grrr over everything.

First, we took the kids visiting, but found the person more interested in drinking than in paying any attention to the children. It was frustrating and sad and continued to sap any residula respect I had for this person.

Then clipping Sean's toenails, on request, I accidentally pulled an entire toenail right out of his toe! I was so freaked out, I cried and apologised profusely. Sean claimed it didn't hurt and was not at all mad at me, as it was a freak accident, but it really upset me. He's used to toenails popping off from his experience playing hockey (it happens a lot to runners, too, I hear), but the only context I've ever heard of toenails comig out I have is tales of torture.

I taped gauze over the toe and murmured a thousand apologies and almost threw up when Sean held the nail up and said, "here, I cleaned it. Do you want to look at it?"

After that, it wasn't so much that bad stuff happened, as lots of tiring stuff was going on. Three days of cousins playing had left just about every toy Kieran has ever owned on his floor, as were his duvet and sheets. Things seemed to be taken out of their highly compartmentalized dwellings and flung about like leaves are blown across a lawn.

So, I put a load of laundry on (and, of coure, took the time and energy to sort the laundry), and sat down on Kieran's bedroom floor and set about cleaning up. Kaitlyn wanted to pitch in, but not knowing our system - everything literally has a place: trucks and cars in one bin, trains in another, toy tools in one, balls and sport things in another, musical toys in yet another bin, stuffed toys in a big toy box... - well, she just made more of a mess than she hoped to address.

In the end, I was sweaty and tired and impatient and it was way past the kid's bedtime and I had the challenge of getting them settled down for a cuddle to sleep. And, that pretty much brings us back to where I started whining.

So, now, it's after midnight. I've been back to referee a fight and just lay with them until they fell asleep.

Now I have a restaurant review to write, as the editor likes them on her desk at 9am Monday, sharp, and I'm a proscrastinator. And, I still have a headache.

A New Look!

Whaddya think? Do you like the new look?

I know it's a tiny bit crowded, but I was losing a tonne of info way down my right sidebar. It's been time for a little freshening up in here anyway.

Well, since my eyes are crossing, I'd off to bed.

I may not get to writing an update for a few days; it's about to get really busy around here this weekend!

Pee Week: Day 4, The Magic Continues

Yesterday was so fantastic in terms of potty training, I almost wept.

I am really and truly proud of my son. He really changed it up yesterday and got down to business.

So, part recap, part part 2, here's how yesterday went.

Kieran peed on the potty at about 11:45am, while sitting and watching Spongebob Squarepants.

He remained on the potty, by choice, through lunch and at 1:00pm he had another pee.

At 2:30pm, I put undies and shorts on him and went out front to play outside. He attempted to peddle his trike and drew on the sidewalk with chalk. At 2:45pm he had an accident and peed himself.

After getting cleaned up and eating a snack, he was tired and started falling asleep on the couch. I stuffed a diaper pad under his butt to keep any naptime loss of bladder control off of "Daddy's" couch. An hour later, when he woke up from his nap, Kieran was dry.

At about 5pm, Kieran gave an excited little shout, shucked his undies and sat on the potty. He assured me that pee was on the way. 2 minutes later, he peed in the potty again.

Around 6:45, just before dinner, Kieran peed in the potty AGAIN!

He remained dry for the rest of the evening until getting a diaper on sometime after 9pm.

This morning, he peed on the potty shortly after getting his "day clothes" on. Today, Kieran's day clothes consist of a KISS tee (women's x-small) and Spiderman undies.

There has been no pooping in a day and a half. There was loads of farting earlier, but no poops. In an effort to avoid poop related accidents, I had a talk with Kieran and let him know that if he wanted a diaper to poop in, in case he didn't want to poop in the toilet, I was cool with that. He declined the diaper.

I'm waiting anxiously for poop. We should be getting another pee in soon, too. Especially after all the pink lemonade he drank at lunch!

I feel so happy about how quickly things turned around and so grateful that this is ending up easier than I thought it would be, I feel like I need to pay kharmic tribute to the universe for this spot of good luck.

So, maybe potty training isn't so bad afterall? Maybe waiting until your kid is three is smarter, by degrees, than trying it before they turn two? So much mommy guilt is lifting away from me!

Technorati: pee, potty, training, toilet, mommy, success, guilt, bloggingbaby

Interlude, Redux

You know you are a hardcore net geek (or maybe just profoundly lazy) when, unable to remember the name of the "Heluva Good Dip" dip, you Google the term "good dip" instead of standing up, walking three steps, opening the fridge and reading the name on the tub.

Interlude

Chips and veggies are merely the beard for dip eating. The only reason we eat them is because in polite society it is forbidden to eat dip with a spoon, much less your finger.

I am certain they add crack into the "Heluva Good Dip" dip.

Pee Week: Day 3, Half Day Update!

He did it! He peed in the potty!

When getting him changed into his "day" clothes, I asked if he was going to sit on the potty today. He said, "no."

I decided a little fibbing was in order.

Me: "OK, Kieran. If you don't want to use the potty, that's fine. I don't want to fight about it. I'm just going to put the potty in the gabage since we don't need it."

Kieran: "No!"

Me: "Are you going to use the potty?"

Kieran: "No."

Me: "Well, if you aren't going to use it, we don't need it, so I'm just going to go put it in the garbage."

Kieran: "No!"

Me: "Then you're going to sit on the potty, right?"

Kieran: "OK. I'll sit on the potty."

So, he chose a Spongebob Squarepants video to watch, we put the potty in front of the TV and he sat down. Sometime later, near the end of the video, he peed on the potty.

I danced and sang and praised and sang and danced and called Daddy at work to tell him and he sang to Kieran. Kieran decided he wanted a glow-in-the-dark K9 sticker to put on his wardrobe/TARDIS.

Kieran chose to eat his lunch on the potty while watching Scooby Doo & Dyno-Mutt. You know what, whatever gets that kid on the potty is cool with me!

About 20 minutes after eating lunch, we had our second pee.

I am so happy, I may cry!

Kieran is back on the potty, as if it's a barcalounger.

Pee Week: Day 2, Already Failing Miserably

I hate this.

I hate potty training.

You really ought to be able to ship kids off for the afternoon while you get a full body massage by a delicious Brazillian and pick them up after they've had a chip implanted in their brains which renders them potty trained, willing to clean up their own toys the first time you ask them to and able to make a decision between two choices of lunch possibilities.

Instead, I get to wipe up pee, suction up pee, rinse off pee and generally have to touch a lot of pee.

My son will sit on the potty for 5-15 seconds, if bribed. He will not, however, perform on the potty. He will save whatever it is he's got in him, usually pee, for a time approximately 5 minutes after his potty session and he will release what he's got, usually pee, on a variety of surfaces including wooden furniture, ceramic tiles and carpets. He has not, yet, peed on an upholstered surface, but there is a first, second, third, fiftieth time for everything.

So, after Kieran peed on the kitchen floor yesterday, I cleaned everything up, put on fresh undies and decided we needed to expand our system.

The new system: a Scooby Doo, truck or Batman sticker for the sticker book for every visit to the potty. An additional Dr. Who sticker for the sticker book (or glow-in-the-dark Dr. Who sticker for his wall) for every pee or poo he produces while on the potty. When we are at home, he is to remain in undies all day and have a shower after dinner after which he gets into a diaper for the night.

Well, as soon as I finished explaining the system to him and his dad, he ran in the house and sat for 3.75 seconds on the potty, earning his first Batman sticker. 10 minutes later, he peed while standing on a wooden stool in his room and slipped on the cermaic tile in the hall trying to inform us of the pee.

I cleaned him and the pee up and stuck him in dry undies.

There is now a line of three undies, a pair of shorts and a washcloth hanging over a curtain rod in my bedroom to dry.

No more accidents nor trips to the potty for Monday.

Tuesday, we are visiting Aunty V for an official doula visit. I make a couple Shepherd's Pies for her and decide a diaper is best while we are out of the house and not even landing a single pee in the toilet yet.

Grabbing my doula bag, I make a fatal error: I forget to pack a backup diaper.

After the visit, and because she's only around the corner, we walk over to my Granny's house where Kieran and I have some lunch and do a lot of visiting. Because of the "no backup diaper" situation, Kieran's Pampers are swollen and soggy but holding.

At 3:15pm, I warn Kieran he has 15 minutes to finish watching Atomic Betty - his Great Grandad put it on for him - before we say goodbye and get on the bus bound for home. At 3:35pm Kieran informs me that he's had a poop. At 3:40pm, I am faced with the fact that the poop is too mushy to be dumped out of the diaper so the diaper can be reused for the 30 minutes it will take for us to bus home.

Kieran must go on the bus diaperless! Kieran being Kieran, I know that the minutes we sit down on the bus and the bus is in motion, he will pee all over his jeans, my lap and/or the orange vinyl bus seat. Not only do I not have a diaper, I don't have wipes, towels, disinfectant or tissues in my bag. I do have two pairs of ankle socks, in case a labouring mom gets unmentionable liquids all over my feet. That would still leave me travelling with a urine soaked kid. Nope!

Kieran has to sit on the toilet and pee before we can leave my grandmother's house.

Kieran sits on the toilet in my grandmother's house for 1 hour and 45 minutes. He does not pee.

He whines, he yells, he sings, he hums, he cries, he protests, he whispers, he jokes, he explores, he touches his dangly bits a lot, but he does not pee.

We bribed him with candy, with stickers, with a chance to go to Daddy's work, with more big boy undies and with way more candy than any permissive mom would agree to, but he does not pee.

I theaten to call Daddy and do, begging him to buy diapers and take a bus to rescue me, but Kieran does not pee.

I talk to him, his great grandmother talks to him, his great grandfather talks to him, eventually not only does his daddy talk to him, but his grampa talks to him, but he does not pee.

He sat, defiant, on that toilet for 1 hour and 45 minutes. He said he would not pee. He said he could not pee. He said he was afraid to pee. When asked, after having had a diaper on for 5 minutes, whether he'd peed in his diaper, he answered "yes."

This sucks.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

Technorati: toilet, potty, training, kid, preschoolerpee,bloggingbaby

It's Pee Week!

Well, we've taken the plunge. We've begun the potty training here at Casa Momcast. I'll let you know what happens each and every day here.

To get you started, here's what I wrote on Blogging Baby about our first day:

OK, after all that crazy commentary about the "appropriate age for potty train" I've decided to take the plunge in earnest.

So, today Kieran and I went to Zellers for lunch and bought two 3-packs of "big boy" undies: Spiderman and Superman.

We got home, stripped down and put on the preferred pair. We dragged the disused potty into the livingroom and gave it a preliminary go. Nothing happened.

Kieran sat down and had his afternoon snack while I watched a documentary. Kieran started nodding off, so I made him get up and sit on the potty. What a pain! He did not want to do it and was up and down on it for another 30 minutes. I gave up trying to control the situation and stopped badgering him. The only reason I'd started was that I didn't want him falling asleep in his undies and peeing on his kiddie recliner.

He trundles off to his room for a little while. I should have figured it out then, but I was mesmerized by Stewart Coupland (the documentary was by the former Police drummer). He came out five minutes later and announced he'd peed on the floor.

So, I dragged the carpet cleaner out, sucked up the pee and cleaned Kieran up. He picked a pair of Sueprman undies to put on and I'm going to leave him alone for a while and see what happens.

UPDATE: he just peed on the kitchen floor. Ugh. It's going to be a long week.

Technorati: potty, toilet, training, preschooler, kid, pee, bloggingbaby

Hello Emily! Hello Latvians!

So, a rabid Latvian knitter shared my Circular Shrug Pattern on a forum and I've been getting lots of rabid Latvian knitters visiting all day!

Hello!

Hmmmm, how do you say, "Hello" in Latvian? Anyone from Latvia want to educate us English-only speaking folks?

And, a hearty hello to my niece Emily!

As some of you know, I helped welcome Emily into the world on Monday. My sister sent some beautiful photos to share with you all.



You can see a few more photos on my Flickr page.

You can also check out the latest stories over at Hamilton Birth Revolution. There is a new story every day about pregnancy, birth and newborn related issues. And, if you gentle readers would be a doll (dolls?), could you leave a comment over there? It's so lonely with no comments!

The Last Two Diapers

Well, it's one of those weeks, financially. Now that we're down to me just working freelance, money gets ultra tight from time to time.

Take, for example, today.

I have $10 in my wallet and enough change to do two loads of laundry (there are at least five loads that need doing, but not all of them are clothes). There are two diapers left in the diaper basket. We get paid tomorrowm morning.

Do you think Kieran will suddenly consent to peeing and pooing on the toilet?

When everything else has failed: promises of Daleks for a first toilet use, stickers for every successful trip to the toilet after that, and the buying of lots of fun "big boy" undies. I doubt begging him to potty train becasue mommy has no diapers today isn't going to motivate him much.

Maybe he can fit back into a size 3 diaper or maybe I can get away with using a Little Swimmer? Ack!

Maybe the pharmacy will let me buy half a package of diapers today and the rest tomorrow?

*note: exaggerated for effect.

My First Client Gave Birth

Well, I've reached a professional milestone: my first client gave birth yesterday to a healthy baby girl.

I'm so proud of her!

And, I'm proud of me! I think I did a good job.

Next goal: get a paying client.

Go to Hamilton Birth Revolution to see a picture of me and the new mum!

The Latest at Hamilton Birth Revolution

Surf on over to Hamilton Birth Revolution to read my first/latest article Less Invasive Testing On The Way? about genetic testing in pregnancy.

Professional Development

Some of you may know that my husband is a record label publicist.

He just sent me this incredibly funny documentary about a fellow publicist. It's a blue print for how to break a band. Sean should take notes.

Spaceman Kieran!

When the laundry was in the dryer and no shorts were left in the drawer, I offered Kieran a choice of three pairs of pants to choose from. He chose as NASA flightsuit, instead.

So, to help him complete his outfit, I made him this cool helmet.

Kieran is ready for his mission!

Update-A-Roo

A few updates:

Easy Feeling
Remember when I wrote about having an Uneasy Feeling in my belly? I said it wasn't a baby. Some didn't really belive me. I just want to assure you that it definitely wasn't a baby.

Spotty Posting
So, posting is going to be a bit spotty for the next week. I've decided to usee WordPress as the CMS for my professional website and blogicise it. This will help with marketing. Right now I'm looking for a suitable "Theme" to fit my needs.

The blog at Hamilton Birth Revolution won't replace this blog. It will focus on pregnancy, labour, delivery, newborn and breastfeeding information.

Need A Doula?
Speaking of Hamilton Birth Revolution, if you are pregnant and living in Hamilton, Ontario, have you considered a doula to help you with your labour, delivery and beyond? Check out Hamilton Birth Revolution for information on how a doula can help you. No matter what kind of birth you want or end up with, you deserve a doula.

Knitting News
It's been ages since I talked about knitting. Rest assured, I haven't given it up. I've got a few projects on the go, yarn in the queue for new projects and some UFO's haunting the knitting baskets.


This is my first attempt at a log cabin blanket, inspired by the Mason-Dixon Knitting book. It is knit in crafter's cotton in a multitude of colours. It was my niece Julia's second birthday present. It was much smaller than this when I gifted it to her two weeks ago. I'm almost ready to crochet on a picot edging and give it back.


This is the first of a pair of Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers. The pattern is from Stitch & Bitch Nation. I'm using some beautiful and very sproingy sock yarn from Lindenhof Wool Mill that is a 50/50 blend of mohair and wool.

I really like both the pattern and the yarn, but the yarn is a light worsted or DK weight while the pattern calls for more of a worsted or Aran weight. I adjusted the pattern to account for the difference in guage, but I think the fabric just isn't substantial enough. I have a beautiful pure Alpaca just waiting for dying but I don't know if it's appropriate for the pattern, since the pattern requires a little elasticity. Alpaca is not nearly as elastic as wool.

The cool thing is that this is my first ever cable pattern. I'm enjoying it immensely and I really like that the cables aren't traditional Viking or Celtic style cables but more freeform in style, forming a pattern of climbing flowers.

Another Alpaca dilemma I have has to do with Mrs. Beeton.


I picked these up at Romni Wools in Toronto. They are part of my 1st wedding anniversary present. They are for the Mrs. Beeton wristwarmers/lace cuffs. The only reason I haven't started them is that I haven't got any beads yet to complete the pattern requirements.

Looking at them a few weeks after purchase I realised that the Alpaca may not have been a great choice as the cuffs require some elasticity to stay on at the wrist. And, as I pointed out above, Alpaca is not known for having elasticity.

The yarn choices were based first on economics and secondly on colour. There is no way I can afford the Rowan required for this pattern, so I went with non name brand analogues. The kid mohair is a great subsititute for the suggested Kidsilk Spray, but the Cashsoft by Rowan is mohair, microfibre and cashmere (and more than twice the cost of a skein of Drops) and my substitute is 100% Alpaca.

So, knitting geniuses: how much/little elasticity does Alpaca really have? Should I find something else for the Mrs, Beeton's? Would the Alpaca work for the Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers? What should I do with that sock yarn, besides socks?

Kieran Swims!

At Uncle Terry's house, Kieran spent most of the afternoon and evening in the pool. It wasn't long before he learned how to swim all by himself, with the aid of a noodle.

Here is a movie of my little fishy swimming, accompanied by a great soundtrack: Cheat, by The Sadies, from their live double CD, In Concert Volume 1, released tomorrow (August 8).

With a Mind Like a Sponge

"Thih id Turno," Kieran said, holding up the play headphones he was carrying.

"Turno?" I asked, totally blanking on what he was talking about.

"Yeah, Turno. He my best frenn. I put dese headphone on behine my ears and I talk to him." Kieran slipped the headphones on so they sat just above and behind his ears and grabbed the end of the six inch length of wire we left on the phones when we decommisioned them. "Hey! Turno? You dere? Hi, Turno." This kid was serious.

"So," I started gently, "Turno is your friend? Where did you meet him."

"Turno id my best frenn," Kieran wasn't giving up the info that easily.

I had to be more direct. "Is Turno your imaginary friend?"

"No, Turno id fom SG1," he explained.

Hmmmm, SG1? I didn't remember a character named "Turno". We'd been watching reruns of SG1 every few days or weeks, as we happened to find them. We'd watched the first two series of Stargate Atlantis over the last year or so when they were played on The Movie Network here in Canada. I'm a little ticked that I can't get series three anywhere right now, but I refuse to watch a show I like that much on the computer, preferring to the delicious ache of deferred gratification.

But, wait, back to SG1.

Kieran bagan to offer more information. "Turno id da guy on SG1, Mom. Da blue cryshtal kill him. Da big one. Da big blue cryshtal, it kill him."

A light dawned. "Kieran, are you saying 'Colonel"?"

He looks at me as if I'm baked, "Uh, yeah, Mom. Turno. Fom SG1."

He's remembering episode 106 called Cold Lazerus where Colonel O'Neill has an encounter with a big blue crystal which knocks him out cold, copies his consciousness and then looks for help for O'Neill.

He still yells "No swiping!" at the TV during Dora, but my boy is a scifi fan through and through.

"Turno! You hear me? I coming a get you!"

Addendum: How Much Yarn

The reason people visit momcast is, overwhelmingly, the Craftster Circular Shrug. It is a pattern I wrote based on design notes provided in a communal design thread on Craftster.

I think that's cool, though I wish I could claim they all came because they love my writing or that they think I'm fascinating. Ah, well, one can dream.
Lately, I've received a few requests to clarify how much yarn is required for the project. So, I'll address that now.

The short answer is: noone knows. Or maybe, it is: that depends.

You see, the Crafster Circular Shrug is less a pattern than a recipe. A recipe gives you the parameters to knit within and leaves all variables up to you.

In this case, the yarn you chose to knit the shrug in is your choice. If you want to knit it in lave weight yarn, while I would think you'd need a big bottle of hard liquor about halfway through section one of the pattern, the amount of yarn you'd require would be different from someone choosing to knit the pattern in bulky weight.

In order to determine how many stitches to cast on for your shrug, you need to knit a swatch for your chosen yarn and do a little basic math. So, if you want your shrug to be 15 inches wide and your yarn is knitting up to 4 stitches per inch, you need to cast on 2(15x4) - the initial cast on is twice the middle section's width, in order to give you the fanned out affect required to make the pattern work.

But, how do you determine how much yardage you require of your chosen yarn? Well, I guess you'd need to make sure you did all of your math for the project and then used a yardage calculator like the one at The Knitting Fiend. Just remember that the first and third sections of the shrug are double the number of stitches that the middle section is AND if you are using a specific pattern in the middle section (like King Charles Brocade or Mock Rib) you need to know your test yardage for that pattern.

I knit a shrug out of Colonia 140 by handpaintedyarn.com and used 3 skeins of it. Of course, it also turned out a bit small on my extra curvy frame.

Just remember that that the first and third section are double the yarn requirements of the middle so even though it may only be about 6-8" long, it sucks up lots of yarn.

I hope I've helped a little. I'm sorry I can't provide clearer info for everyone. But, the answer to the "how much yarn" question is totally dependant on the yarn you choose and your personal measurements.

As always, please let me know when you've finished your Crafster Circular Shrug. You can tell us how much yarn you ended up using. But, better yet, you can show off your beautiful finished object.

First Client Excitement

So, my first client called and reported in on her prenatal meeting with her OB. She reports that she is more than 50% effaced and 3.5 cm dilated already. Of course, it could go on like that for two more weeks, but I think we'll be seeing some action soon.

Which means, I'll be doing my first post training birth very soon!

Woohoo!

I have done two prenatal appointments, talked about birth plans and comfort measures. We've practiced labouring and pushing and discussed what they can expect of me during labour and delivery. They say they feel fairly confident about what's going to be happening.

It's a second baby for them, so it's not like this is all new for them. But, they say they feel better prepared for this experience than they were for their first.

Now, all I have to be nervous about is getting the call. And being good at the birth.

Hack A Water Play Set

Stuck inside the house with your little one? No air conditioning? No backyard or front yard to play in? Is the water park too far away?

Make your own water play set in your kitchen!

WE live in a flat, downtown, with no backyard or frontyard and no air conditioning. To help Kieran keep cool, I'm filling a plastic bin up with lots of cold water and letting Kieran play in it.

He is using a set of stacking cups to play with the water but you could use toys or measuring cups if you want. The great thing is that it's free and water dries! It's perfect for keeping kiddies busy while you are doing dishes or making dinner.

Don't forget to put a big towel down on the table first (or the floor) and make sure the kids don't splash too much or they might slip off the chair or on the floor.

My Little Graffiti Artist

Generally, Kieran can be trusted not to get into anything he isn't supposed to. He's always been given lots of trust around playing independantly and has, for the most part, rewarded us with the kind of behaviour we expect of him.

Reading stories of parents who don't shower all day because they can't leave their preschoolers alone for 2 minutes makes me shake my head. Kieran spends, sometimes, half hour blocks virtually alone. I work out of my home, so I'm at the computer for long stretches in which Kieran watches his favourite shows, plays with his many toys and reads (that should probably be in quotes as he doesn't really read, but looks at pictures) from his many books, magazines and comics.

I've heard of kids getting into diabetes meds (what is that sitting on the kitchen counter for?), climbing things they aren't supposed to, getting into the electronics and pulling all the cds out of the shelves. Kieran has rarely done anything like that, especially not sice he hit 2 years old.

Of course, any of those times when I've left him alone while showering or cleaning or knitting or writing or reading or even napping on the sofa while I've been sick, never has he been frustrated with me. When I conducted a recent prenatal meeting in my home, however, Kieran was none too happy about my paying attention for two hours to other people, even if they were people he loved and they had brought his cousin to play with him.

I know now that Kieran can be trusted to be by himself as long as he's not frustrated with how little attention I'm giving him. Otherwise, the result is this:

That's permanent sharpie on a painted shelf waiting to be installed in the kitchen/office.